Apparatus for treating and handling work



July 11, 1933.

H. ROSENBERG APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING WORK Filed Sept. 11, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ooQpoa I amulet;

HEYMANRDSENBERE,

ROSENBERG 5 SheetS Sheet 2 llIl l July 111, 1933.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLINGWORK Filed Sept. 11, 1931 2 3 a v Fm.

July 11, 1933. RQSENBERG 1,917,547

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING WORK I Filed se i. 11, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 3 FIRE.

' gnoento'o:

E HEYMANRDSENBERQ,

Jufiy M, 1933. ROSENBERG 1,917,547

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING WORK Filed Sept. 11, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 amulet:

HEYMANRUSENBERL I July 11, 1933. H, ROSENBERG 1,917,547

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING WORK Filed Sept. 11, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HI" x II l jmwntoz HEYMAN R u 5 ENBERB @wy/ /lw Patented July 11, 1933 nniran srATEs HEYMAN ROSENBERG, OF,NEWV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FDR TBEATENG AND HANDLIENG- WQRK 7 Application filed Sept mber 11, 1531. Serial No. 582,334.

In my (Jo-pending application Serial No. 558, l13, filed August 20, 192-31, is set forth an apparatus for treating and transporting articles oi work, which apparatus is especially adapted for larger articles and also adapted to be readily modified to facilitate treatment of smaller articles as accomplished by the apparatus disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,786,508, dated December 30, 1930, and also by ai iparatus disclosed in my co-pending applications, one iiled September 2%, 1929, Serial No. 394,832, andthe other tiled April 29, 1930, Serial No. M8549.

The present invention includes the provision of one form of adapting devices for changing over the plant or apparatus of the first above-mentioned co-peiiding application for the treatment of the smaller articles of work.

It should, therefore, be understood that various details oi my said patent and pending applications (aswell as those of other of my pending applications not specifically recited) have been omitted from the showing of the drawings of this application both for the saving of space and for clearness of disclo-* sure, such as the housing for confining fumes, the work transporter-operated doors, the quenching vat, and various othervaluable and useful details: but, of course, all of these details are in tact used to whatever extent "found desirable for eiiective co-ordination with the parts herein disclosed.

Furthermore, it should be understood that while the present improved plant is charac 'terized by including an adapter for changing over the plant of my first above-mentioned patent application from one designed for the treatment of larger articles of work to one designed for the treatment of smaller articles of work, the word larger niust be accepted in its relative sense and limited to physically available possibilities, as, for example, the smaller articles, while not to be definitely limited, may be represented by such products as screws, screwnails, washers, nuts, bolts, ball and roller bearings, and the like, while the larger articles, though not in any sense definitely limited, may be pinions, gears, rings, discs, and like devices such as .dling commonly employed in automobile construction and elsewhere, and the range of sizes will be limited only by the available, physical capacity of the work supporters and conminers. treated, therefore, is not to be considered a determining factor.

lVhile it should be definitely understood that the present improved work-treating ap-. paratus is especially shown and adapted for the heat treating of metal articles, it is also well adapted for transporting and treating other articles by othermodes of treatment where a series or succession ofsteps must be carried out and where manual'handlingis desirably avoided. However, since the apparatus illustrated in the drawings is particularly eii'ective in theheat treating and particularly in the cyanide case-hardening of articles of work, for purposes of illustration, that particular treatment will be hereinafter mentioned, but with the understanding that any substitute or alternative treatment is also intended to be included so long as the invention is adapted for the handling incident to such treatment, andthe reference to heat treatment or cyanide case-hardening should be understood to in fact include any appropriate treatment where handling and transportation of work areirequired under conditions of diiliculty making manual hanand transportation undesirable whether from cost of labor, slowness of handling and transportation, or dangerous physical conditions, such as are attendant upon heat treatment in cyanide or like salts bath case-hardening. v

The essential object is the easy, quick, and inexpensive transforming of a plant of the type illustrated in my first above mentioned eo-pending application to a condition enabling and facilitating handling and treating relatively small articles of work.

In greater detail, a further object is the effective delivery of articles of work from one work holder or container to another with out manual contact where the'physical or other condition of the work renders manual contact objectionable or impossible.

In still greater detail, a further object is T he actual size of the articles to be the transporting of a work holder or container from a point of treatment to the proper relationship to a similar work holder or container and the delivery of the articles of work to the latter holder or container without manual contact.

Vith these and further objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention includes work holders or containers adapted to sustain work while being treated and adapted to move from one point of treatment to another point of treatment, and means for transferring work from one work holder or container to another.

The invention further includes in such a structure means for moving a work holder or container from one point of treatment of the work to a substantially alined position with a work holder or container at another point of treatment and guiding means for the work as it is transferred from one work holder to the other.

The invention still further comprises in such a structure means for moving a work holder to and from an inverted position, the inversion contributing toward the delivery of the work.

The invention also includes an adapter for work-carrying means for enabling variation in the type of the work holder or container according to the character of work to be handled and treated. V

The invention comprises certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of an apparatus embodying the structural features of the present invention, cooperating parts as illustrated in my above-mentioned patent and co-pending applications being omitted.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same parts with the work holder or container shown in different positions so that between the two figures the characteristic positions from the point of treatment to the point of exchange are illustrated in the two figures.

Figure 3 is a top plan view seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed, detached perspective view of the work holder operating lever arm and its adapter separated to facilitate clearness of disclosure of the form and relation of of the parts the parts.

Figure 5 is a View in side elevation of one of the work holders or container detached, the cover-retaining latch being shown in full lines as if lifted above its normal position at rest, and the parts being seen in dotted lines in the open position of the cover plate.

Figure 6 is a similar view taken from a plane at right angles to the plane of observation in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the parts seen in Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by line 8-8 of Figure 9 showing the work holder operating lever arm with its adapter removed and a pivo tally mounted work holder disclosed corresponding to the showing in my said co-pending application Serial No. 558,413.

Figure 9 is a view in front elevation of the parts seen in Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 and 2 indicate furnaces or other work-treating structures, and may be considered furnaces for purposes of illustration. Any appropriate fuel may be used, such, for example, as gas after the manner illustrated in my co-pending application Serial No. 448,349, filed April 29, 1930, and while both of the furnaces may be independently heated, for some treating operations, such as preheating and then cyanide treatment, the furnace 1 will preferably be supplied with fuel and the exhaust products will pass out through the pipe 3 into furnace 2 as the heat source for the latter furnace. An exhaust pipe 4 leads from the furnace 2' for the final. discharge of the products of combustion. \Vhile the quenching vat regularly used where the treatment of the work is a heat treatment is not illustrated, it should be understood that such a vat is employed at the opposite side of furnace 1 from the location of furnace 2 in position for receiving work delivered from the place of treatment in the furnace 1 and that the vat is provided with a work-recei\-'- ing and discharging basket and cooperating parts as illustrated and described in detail in my co-pending a )plication Serial N 0. 394,831, filed September 24, 1929, and also as shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 558,413, filed August 20, 1931, but with the work-holder-receiving frame omitted and the work separating baffle substituted when the work adapters for the work holders or containers are employed.

Suspended from the top and extending down into furnaces 1 and 2 are the receptacles or pots 5, 5. \Vhile pots 5 may be employed for any work treating purposes, in the instance of cyanide treatment, the pot 5 of furnace 1 usually contains the molten salts. Pot 5 of furnace 2 may contain a neutral salt, or other agent, such as molten lead, or

may be employed for direct preheating of 31 work, and in the latter instance accommodates the articles of work as they are being preheated preparatory to introduction into the molten bath. Pots 5, 5 may, of course,

serve many other purposes in a numerous H variety of kinds of treatment of articles of work.

Appropriately journaled preferably on a lateral extension of the top plate of the respective furnace are rock shafts 6, 6, one for lit lever in each case to leave a pair of parallel,

outstanding arms 9, 9, each apertured at 10 at its upper end port-ion to receive a cross bar for, the support'of a work-holder-receiving hook or hooks, not illustrated, but after the manner shown and described in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 558,411.3

An adapter plate 11 is preferably detachably fittedbetween the arms 9 and shaped to overlie parts of the arms and otherwise interlock with and cooper: c as a unitwith said arms. he adapter plate 11 is preferably bolted or otherwise detachably fixed to the web ofthe lever arm 7 and to the arms 9 thereof so as to produce a unitary opera-ting arm therewith when the adapter plate 11 is employed, and to leave the arms 9 free for theswinging of a work carrier therebetween after the manner set forth in my last above-identified patent application when the adapter plate 11 is not employed. Each plate 11 is provided with a work-holder-receiving aperture 1s having a peripheral offset-scat or rabbet 13 for accommodating the circumferential flange 14 outstanding from the upper end portion of the respective foraminous or otherwise reticulated. work holder. or containerin the nature of a bucket or basket, there being one such bucket or basket 15 cooperating with furnace V1 and another suchbucket or basket l6rcooperating with the furnace 2.

Thus, a bucket or basket 15, 16, is 'provided for each operating arm, one to have its contained work receive .heat treatment in furnace 2, and the other in furnace '1. The baskets 15 and 16 are susceptible of quite a wide range of variation in form and contour, and when a relatively large quantitv of small articles are to be treated in a single batch, it is desirable to have the basket 15 of'the form set forth in detail in my copending application Serial No. 525,573, filed March 26, 1931. The basket 16 may be similarly shaped, but since employed usually a container for work being preheated. the form seen in the accompanying drawings is preferred, which is a plain cylinder of perforated sheet metal having its bottom end closed with a foraminous plate and its top end provided with control apparatus for enabling automatic delivery of contained work from the heat treating basket 16 to cyanide treatment basket 15. The said control apparatus includes a ring 17 bolted or otherwise appropriately fiXed to and surrounding the upper end portion of a basket 16 and having the flange 141 outstanding therefrom.

A truncated funnel or tapering tube 18 is formed integral with or carriedby the ring 17 and upstands therefrom when the basket 16 is in the receptacleh he flange 14 whether of basket 15 or 15 is preferably-bolted or otherwise detachably fixed to the seat of rabbet 13 so that the baskets will effectively move with andnot become detached from therespe ctive operating arm formed of lever arm 7 and adapter plate 11.

As best seen in Figines"2, 5, 6, and 7, a cover plate 19 is provided for the otherwise openend ofthe truncated funnel 18 for at times closing the sameand at other times serving as a chute for aiding in the directing of work from basket 16 into basket 15. i To this end, the plate 19 is provided with a pendent flange 2O shrouding the funnel 18;

A web 21 preferably formed integral with plate 19 and with flange 20 is pivotally connected 22 with the funnel 118 and'flange 1 1 of basket '16. It should be understood that basket 15 has a plain, open, upper end. The

hing-ed connection of the cover pla e 19 with basket 16 is susceptible of a wide range of variation, but theform just described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is preferable, since the web 21 is provided with a fiat, straight portion n3 located to rest on the adjacent surface of plate/11 when the cover plate 19 is in its open position relative to funnel 18, as indicated in dot-ted lines in Figure 5. A laterally outstanding web 24 is preferably,formed integral with funnel 18 and the web 21' is bifurcated to accominodate web 241. and provide the eyes of the hinge of pivot 22. Any appropriate, detachable pintle may be employed. Preferably at the diametrically opposite side of the funnel from web 2 1 a similar web 25 is provided and pivotally carriesalatch bar 26 having a lip Q'Y adapted at times to overhang the cover plate 19 and lock it in a closed posit on over thefunnel 18. Asclearly seen in Figures 5 and 7, the flange "20 does not extend about that portion of the margin of plate 19 engaged by the lip27, and is. in fact, terminated substantial distance at each side thereof to leave an open end to that which becomes a guiding chute made up of plate. 19 and flange 20 when work articles are being discharged into basket 15 from basket 16 in the; position of the parts seen in full lines in Figure 2. The latch bar 26 is preferably of relatively substantial length to outstand from'basket 16 far enough to strike and be cammed by the plate 11 of the operating lever arm for basket. when the parts are moving to the full line position of Figure 2, To facilitate the cannning action, an anti-friction roller 28 is preferably carried at the free end of the latch bar 26; Also, the latch bar is of sul'iicient size and proportion todrop automatically from the open or dotted line position of Figure 5 to the closed ion , ,erplate-engaging position.

or full line position thereof when the basket 16 is moved from the vertical position of Figure 1 through a sufficient arc, as indicated in dotted line position in Figure 2, for causing the latch to be gravity swung to the cov- Gover plate 19 is so hinged at 22 as not to open by. gravity even when the latch is held out of the locking position until the parts have moved through a substantially greater are than indicated by the dotted line position of Figure 2. i

The rock shafts 6 may be oscillated by any appropriate mechanism, such as is illustrated in some of the above-identified, co-pending applications, or by any other desired mechanism whether manual or power driven. The mechanism is preferably enclosed in an appropriate housing 29 in each instance and provided with an outstanding stub shaft 30 carrying an operating lever 31 having, when desired, a handle or grip 32. Vithin the housing 29, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, appropriate transmitting gears of the leverage type are employed to transmit movement from the stub shaft 30 to the respectiverock shaft 6, as, for example, a worm 33 fixed to stub shaft 30 meshes with a worm gear 34 carried by a shaft journaled in housing 29 and carrying a pinion gear 35 meshing with a spur gear 36 keyed or otherwise appropriately fixed to the respective shaft 6. The multiplication of power makes the actuation of the parts easy for the operator and the employment of the worm gear 33 enables the operator to discontinue movement at any time without having any retrograde movement or undesired advance'moveinent of the parts. Each shaft 6 is preferably counterbalanced at 37 to further reduce the effort required for operating the apparatus.

\Vhile, as above indicated, the present invention is aplicable for the handling of articles of work wherever a succession of treatments are required, a convenient, specific instance of use is found in the salts bath casehardening of metal work, and for purposes of illustration, the preferred mode of operation and the preferred practicing of the present improved art or process will be described with reference to such caseehardening without however limiting the invention to such illustration.

The parts being in the position seen in'full lines in Figure 1, the operator lifts'the cover plate 19 to the dottedline position seen in Figure 5, and then introduces a charge or batch of the work articles to be treated. It is assumed, of course, that the required high ten'iperature has already been attained by the furnaces 1 and 2. The supplying of the charge to the basket may be either accomplished manually or by mechanical means, such as a duplication or substantial duplication of the parts herein shown, and as soon as the charge has been delivered into basket 16 the cover plate 19 will be moved to the closed position seen in full lines in Figure 1. The shaft 6 for basket 16 is then rocked for lifting the basket and moving it through the arc to the discharge posit-ion seen in full lines in Figure 2. In the course of this movement, as the basket reaches the dotted line position of Figure 2, the latch bar 26 moves to the locking location, that is, with the lip 27 overhanging plate 19, so that the latch bar 26 assumes the position by gravity shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and shown in full lines in Figures 5, 6, and 7. The further rocking movement of shaft 6 causing advance through a greater arc by the basket 16 brings the parts to the dotted line position of Figure l. During this travel, the work within the basket 16 has been effectively held by the cover plate 19 against discharge from the basket. However, on reaching the position seen in dotted lines in F i 'ure 1, the latch bar or pawl 26 has its free end. contact with the plate 11 of the lever arm for basket 15, and the further downward movement of the parts causes the pawlaor latch bar 2612-0 cam itself along the plate 11 to, the position moving lip 27 out of contact with cover plate 19 and thereby releasing the parts to the position seen in full lines in Figure 2. The cover plate 19 with its flange 20 dropping to the lowered position just stated serves as a chute preventing backward spreading of the charge of articles of work and concentrating the charge in its descent into basket 15. As soon as the complete mass of work articles has descended into basket 15, basket 16 is returned to its former position by reverse movementof its shaft 6. It should be observed that should any of the work articles for any reason clog or catch withinbasket 16 at the time of discharge, a slight oscillatory movement or rocking of shaft 6 will vibrate loose such detained articles and cause them to readily drop into basket 15. As the parts move backward to the initial position of basket 16, the latch bar 26 swings first toward the funnel 18 and then in the latter part of the movement away from the funnel to the final position seen in full lines in Figure 1. The cover plate 19 meanwhile will drop to the closed position toward the concluding portion of the return movement of the parts, and the cover plate, therefore, must be lifted to begin the next cycle of operation.

Meanwhile, the work articles are left in the basket 15 for the requisite length of time to effect the required. treatment, and then the shaft 6 of basket- 15 is actuated to cause the basket to swing through an are similar to that just previously described by basket 16 to discharge the work into the quenching vat, not illustrated, or to any other appropriate place or condition of treatment as required within the rangeof capacity of the operating parts. Figures 8 and 9 incorporate the pivotal numnting of a work support after the manner taughtin .my CO-PQlidlZlg plication Selo. 558,-ll3 when applied to the arms 9 w ith i plate ll eliminated. It should be no l t a cross bar 125 is set into the aperture; ill of arms Sand anchored therein lirmly in any ap ropriate manner, such as by being secured by a driven fit, or otherwise as des 'od. Ally appropriate work carrier whetl'ier in the form of, a basket, tray or rack maybe pivotally suspended from the rod the particular embodiment of work holder or carrier shown in Figures 8 and 9 being that of the work-carrying rack 135 of the said co-pendinp; application Serial No. 558,-ll3, which rack consists of a central, vertical bar from which outstams the radial arms the on which the work is to be suspended. The upper end of the cannninr: ha 140 having special apyflication in as set forth in my last above- :d (o-pending application. The upper endof the rack or bar ll fixedly carries or is carried by a cross pin 32) outstanding laterally on opposite sides and transversely of the ramming bar M0 so as to be suspended in and pivotally carried by the books 126 piv ted to and pendent from the bar 125. A spacer .128 mounted on the bar 125 retains the hooks in their proper relation. The bodies of the books 1% preferably extend beyond the bar 125 and are provided with counter )alan lug; portions 130 for facilitatthe engagement and discn agement of the hooks with the cross pin 139. As a dethe counterbalance extensions 130 are clamped together by a through bolt 131 and held spaced apart by a sleeve r32 surrounding the bolt lill between said counterbalance extensions 130. An adjustable weight, preferabl in the form of a bolt 133, having an n ole nut 133i, preferably provided to "t variation in the weight of the counter- ,nre in its functioni relative to hooks 6. Thus, by the removal of the adapter nd the insertion of the bar 125 an mounting Esprovided for pivotstaining a arrying any appropriate noloer 13!.01301tl0l18tl to swing between ll hat is claimed ix 1. in work treating; and handling apparatus compris a movably mounted transfer member for interchangeably receiving" either i relatively liked or a pivotally sustained work holder, the combination of a transport-- ing lever pivoted to swia between places of work trca'tme; t, and an adapter r-emovably carried by the lever for rigidly sustaining a relatively .li: ed work hold 2. Irpparatus as claimed in. claim 1 wherein the rigidly-ca ed work holder is sustained in substantially the location otherwise occupied by the pivotally-carried work holdor.

bar is carried by a 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the levercomprises spaced arms connected by the adapter and between which arms the pivotally-sustained work holder is dosigncd to extend in the absence of the adapt- 61. p j p ;-l. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adapter is apertured to accommodate the rigidlycarried work holder.

5. The combination of spaced work holders for sustaining work during treatment, one of the, holders being movable from its place of work treatment to aposition of work transfer relation with respect to the other swing the work holder through a vertical are from its work treatment position to its work discharging position. p

8. The combination as claimed 1n claim 5 with means for efiectmg movement of the movable work holder to and from such work transfer relation with the work holder in an inverted position upon reaching said transfer relation.

9. The combination of spaced work holders for sustaining work during treatment, one of the holders movably mounted and being movable from its place of work treatment to a position of work transfer relation with respect to the other holder, means for directingfrom its work treatment posi- 3 work from the former to the latter when in such work transfer relation, means for effectinn; movement of the movable work holder to and from such work transfer relation with the workholder in an inverted position upon reaching said transfer relation, and means for maintainingthe top of the movable work holder closed until arriving at such work transfer relation.

10. The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for manitammg the top of the movable work holder closed is apivoted latch located to be. cammed to release the top for opening as the movable work holder is arriving at the transfer relation.

11. The combination of spaced work hold ers for sustaining work during treatment, one of the holders being movably mounted and movable from its place of treatment to a position of work transfer relation with rep I spect to the other-holder, means for moving the movable work holder to the position of 14. The combination as claimed in claim 11 wherein the means for directing the work from the movable work holder to the other work holder comprises a funnel-shaped discharge element for the movable WOIi holder and a cover plate for the fuimelshaped element pivoted to swing toward the receiving work holder as the movable work holder reaches the transfer relation.

15. A work holder of the class described comprising a containing body, and a pivoted cover therefor, the said cover having a flange extending from a portion of its margin with the flange omitted at the portion opposite the pivot for enabling said cover to function as a chute when in an open position,

16. A work holder as claimed in claim 15 in combination with a latch located to engage and hold the cover closed, the latch having a projection adapted to engage a detent for releasing the latch and thereby releasing the cover for enabling discharge from the containing body.

17. The combination of spaced work receptacles for containing articles of work to be treated, means for moving one of the receptacles to a position above the other receptacle, a closure for the movable receptacle for preventing discharge therefrom, and means for opening said closure as the movable receptacle approaches said other receptacle.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HEYMAN ROSENBERG. 

